Previewing Syracuse’s NCAAT 2nd-Round duel against No. 6 seed Navy
Two days after Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament First-Round win over Loyola, the Orange square off with No. 6 seed Navy. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse head coach Regy Thorpe is a big proponent of taking each game as its own, and after the Orange’s 8-6 win over Loyola in the NCAA Tournament First Round Friday, the first step to restoring SU’s standard is complete. The thing about the playoffs, though, is there’s no time to rest. When you’re not hosting, it’s even worse.
SU faces Navy Sunday with its back against the wall. Yes, the Midshipmen barely scraped past a mediocre UMass team in the first round, but playing at their home stadium gives them a significant advantage. They also stole one of the tournament’s eight seeds — a spot Syracuse seemed well-positioned for — further illustrating their danger.
But Thorpe has said it before, and he’ll probably say it again. The NCAA Tournament is a fresh slate. By avoiding a blemish Sunday, Syracuse reaches the quarterfinals for the fifth time in the last six years.
Here’s everything to know about No. 6 seed Navy (19-1, 8-1 Patriot) before it hosts the Orange (14-5, 7-3 Atlantic Coast) in the NCAA Tournament Second Round:
All-time series
This is the programs’ first-ever matchup.
The Midshipmen report
Friday was cinema. Not just for Syracuse, which staved off a late Loyola comeback, but also for Navy, which felt all the emotions in its 17-16 win.
The Midshipmen trailed 5-2 in the first quarter before scoring eight goals — six unanswered — in the third. To seal their win, Mikayla Williams spun past five defenders and nailed top bins for her only score on nine shots with 35 seconds remaining.
After that clutch ending, you’d think Navy is a battle-tested squad that’s been to hell and back to reach where it’s at. Instead, the Midshipmen faced just four ranked foes across the regular season, a large contrast to Syracuse’s 11. They’re still good, no doubt about that, but their 19-1 record is deceiving. Their best win came against then-No. 7 Florida on Feb. 28. Their only loss, ironically, came against Loyola.
Where Navy beats Syracuse is in its personnel. In other words, it has Alyssa Chung. The sophomore attack was recently named a Tewaaraton Award finalist after notching 106 points (74 goals, 32 assists) this season. Her point tally ranks fifth in the nation, her goals rank tied for third and her assists inside the top 50.
What’s even scarier is she’s surrounded by five other players with 30-plus points. Taylor Miles (68), Williams (59) and Emma Kennedy (57) all outpace Molly Guzik’s 51, which leads SU. With an attack like that, the Midshipmen’s 306 goals and 8.26-goal win margin rank second and third in Division I, respectively.
Defensively, Navy’s been just as lethal. Its backline allows 7.84 goals per game, eighth in the country, and it’s held opponents to fewer than 10 goals 12 times. Felicia Giglio, with her 47% save percentage — 23rd in D-I — is also pretty damn good.
So, yeah. SU will have its hands full.
How Syracuse beats Navy
Stop Chung. And all the other names mentioned above. Seriously, though, keeping Chung quiet should be the Orange’s top priority. It’s almost impossible to do, but it’s worth a shot. Syracuse limited fellow Tewaaraton finalist Chloe Humphrey early on Feb. 13, nearly upsetting then-top-ranked North Carolina.
It did the same against Northwestern’s Madison Taylor a few weeks later in a 9-6 statement win after holding her to a season-low one point. The blueprint isn’t as clear with Chung, as she scored six goals when Navy lost to Loyola.
But keeping her relatively quiet, like she was Friday against UMass — two goals, two assists — will be key. And yes, that stat line against the Minutewomen is considered quiet for Navy’s top threat.
Stat to know: 11.63
Before Syracuse’s hands are full with Navy’s versatile offense, they were full with Loyola’s, which has five players with 40-plus points. Yet in SU’s win, it limited those five to three goals and forced 14 turnovers. Against the Midshipmen, the goal — and execution — should be similar.
The Orange have one of the top defenses nationally, and they’ve proven it every week. Dan Guyette’s been a brick wall, and with emerging pieces like Izzy Lahah and Mackenzie Salentre, established starters Coco Vandiver and Kaci Benoit are more dangerous than before.
Navy’s 11.63 turnovers per game rank eighth in the nation. It’s lost the ball 20 times just once. Like Syracuse forced Loyola into 22 turnovers, a similar performance is needed against the Midshipmen.
Player to watch: Alyssa Chung, attack, No. 18
She’s the best player on a top-four team in the country. She also scored four goals against Thorpe’s Florida defense last season. Chung is the player to watch, and if Syracuse takes its eyes off her, it might as well kiss its first-ever national championship goodbye.
Chung has 13 hat tricks in 20 games. Navy is as good as she is, and coming off a mild two-goal performance against UMass, expect Chung to run rampant against the Orange.
